Emotion Wheel: What It Is And How To Use It

Humans experience a vast array of emotions throughout their lives, often transitioning from one feeling to another in an instant. Navigating this complex emotional landscape can be overwhelming, but the emotion wheel offers a practical solution.

This article explores the concept of the emotion wheel, how to effectively navigate your emotions using it, and the benefits of understanding your emotional landscape in today’s world.

Key Takeaways:

• On average, humans experience around 34,000 emotions, which center around eight core emotions.

• Understanding the layers, colors, and relationships between emotions on the emotion wheel is crucial for effective emotional navigation.

• The core emotions are:

  • Joy

  • Trust

  • Fear

  • Surprise

  • Sadness

  • Disgust

  • Anger

  • Anticipation

What Is the Emotion Wheel

Humans possess approximately 34,000 emotions, making it astonishingly complex to pinpoint exactly what one is feeling. The emotion wheel serves as a tool to simplify this process.

Developed by psychologist Robert Plutchik, the Plutchik Model of Emotions is structured around eight core emotions that can intensify, diminish, or combine to create new emotional states. These core emotions include:

• Joy

• Trust

• Fear

• Surprise

• Sadness

• Disgust

• Anger

• Anticipation

To utilize the emotion wheel effectively, start by identifying your core emotion and then explore the layers and nuances that surround it.

Interestingly, Plutchik not only identified these eight core emotions but also paired them with their opposites. Reflect on whether you perceive these emotions as opposites or if they sometimes blend together:

• Joy vs. Sadness

• Trust vs. Disgust

• Fear vs. Anger

• Surprise vs. Anticipation

Navigating Emotions With the Emotion Wheel

To effectively manage your feelings, it’s essential to define them. Understanding the intricate layers of your emotions allows for better management and comprehension of their origins.

For instance, you might expect to feel angry, but upon reflection, you discover a more nuanced emotion such as happiness. The emotion wheel can help clarify these feelings.

How to Use the Emotion Wheel

As you delve into the emotion wheel, you’ll notice three significant features: layers, colors, and relationships between emotions.

• Layers: The outer layers of the wheel represent milder emotions, while those toward the center depict more intense feelings. For example, rage is the innermost expression of anger.

• Colors: Each core emotion is assigned a specific color, with intensity diminishing as you move outward on the wheel. This visual cue makes it easier to grasp the strength of an emotion.

• Relations: Opposite emotions are positioned across from each other on the wheel. Additionally, emotions between the “petals” of core feelings often represent combinations, such as how disgust and sadness can lead to remorse.

While the emotion wheel does not encapsulate all 34,000 emotions, it effectively categorizes many feelings, allowing for clearer identification and management.

Why Categorize Emotions

Understanding and categorizing your emotions is vital for personal growth. Many individuals fear their emotions or shy away from expressing them. However, recognizing and comprehending emotions is fundamental to evolving as a person.

• We are complex beings, often unaware of the physical and mental processes affecting our well-being.

• By exploring our emotional depths, we can enhance our overall quality of life, both personally and professionally.

• Emotions are intrinsic to our existence, and rather than suppressing them, embracing and understanding them is a healthier approach.

• Visual tools, like the emotion wheel, simplify the understanding of complex concepts, making emotional literacy more accessible.

Emotional Intelligence (EQ)

Emotional intelligence, or EQ, refers to the ability to comprehend your emotions and use that insight to manage them effectively. Emotional intelligence is defined as the ability to recognize and interpret emotions in oneself and others, which can improve interpersonal relationships and workplace dynamics.

Turning Emotions Into a Study

The most effective way to utilize the Emotion Wheel is to gain a deeper understanding of your emotions. This requires an ongoing process of self-exploration and emotional intelligence development.

When experiencing emotions, practice tracing them back to their core origins using the wheel. This is not a one-time exercise; rather, it should be a continuous journey of self-discovery and growth.

With regular practice, recognizing and understanding your emotions can become second nature, allowing for better decision-making and emotional management.

Using the Emotion Wheel in Business

Understanding your emotions—and those of others—can translate into tangible benefits in business contexts.

For example, a salesperson who identifies a potential customer’s fear about making a purchase can address those concerns more effectively. By understanding emotions, you can uncover underlying issues and facilitate better communication.

This skill of discerning, categorizing, and responding to emotions enhances both personal and professional interactions, fostering stronger relationships and greater confidence.

Other Emotion Tools

If the Plutchik Emotion Wheel doesn’t resonate with you, consider exploring alternative tools:

• Geneva Wheel: This model categorizes emotions into four quadrants—pleasant and unpleasant emotions that are either within or beyond your control.

• Junto Wheel: Offering a broader range of emotions, the Junto wheel allows for more nuanced identification and categorization of feelings.

All emotion classification tools serve the same purpose: to visually represent what you’re feeling and provide terminology to articulate those feelings. This understanding can extend to recognizing emotions in others, enhancing personal and professional relationships.

Final Thoughts

Having explored the emotion wheel, reflect on how a deeper understanding of emotions can influence your interactions. Consider how an employee might manage her emotions more effectively when presenting ideas and responding to feedback from supervisors. Understanding emotions can significantly improve workplace dynamics and personal relationships.

Author

Kristin Kizer

Kristin Kizer is an award-winning writer, television and documentary producer, and content specialist who has worked on a wide variety of written, broadcast, and electronic publications. A former writer/producer for The Discovery Channel, she is now a freelance writer and delighted to be sharing her talents and time with the wonderful Zippia audience.